“I guess not,” observed Joe. “We could keep the radio going, and there are a good many ships in these waters. As long as a storm didn’t come up we’d probably be rescued.”
“But a storm might come up,” persisted Jimmy. “We’ve had so much good weather lately that a storm must be just about due. And what did you mean by saying that we could keep the radio going?”
“Didn’t you know that the lifeboats of the Meteor were equipped with radio sets?” asked Joe.
“I hadn’t heard of it,” replied Jimmy.
“Sure thing,” replied his comrade. “The boats are covered now with tarpaulins, and that’s the reason you haven’t noticed them. Johnson lifted the cover of one that we were passing the other day and showed me the set. Of course they’re not so powerful as the regular ship’s set, but they could send a good way and get in touch with vessels all about us. But I hope there won’t be any necessity for that. I’m going out now and see what I can learn of the condition of the ship. Come along, Jimmy. Herb can stay in here with Bob, and we’ll be back in a few minutes.”
The pair went out, with Hector trailing lugubriously at their heels.
The fog was still as dense as ever and spread like a pall over the ship. On the starboard side a great mass reared itself that they knew must be an iceberg. It was so close that it almost seemed as though they could reach out and touch it.
Why the Meteor did not get away from such a deadly menace became apparent when they went over to the port side. There, looming up in the gray gloom, was another berg, seemingly even more massive than the one they had first seen. Escape was cut off in that direction.
They made their way to the bow and the stern, in the hope of discovering some way out of the impasse. But here again nothing hopeful presented itself to their straining eyes. The icebergs did not seem so near as on the sides, but by the aid of the fierce rays of the searchlight they could make out huge floating masses that blocked the way.
The Meteor was trapped!